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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued the UK operator of a US-based oil and gas exploration and production company with an improvement notice, saying its use of “not fully competent” trainees fell below the requirement to operate a North Sea platform safely.

The uncertainty and “adverse publicity” caused by an ongoing Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the death of a worker were blamed by its directors for the collapse of Ikon Construction, according to a report by the firm’s administrator. The Bristol-based construction firm went into administration on 17 May.